Eid 2027 UK: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha dates and leave

Eid 2027 in the UK: Eid al-Fitr is expected on Tuesday 9 March 2027 and Eid al-Adha on Sunday 16 May 2027, with the Day of Arafah on Saturday 15 May, according to the Umm al-Qura calendar. Neither Eid is a UK bank holiday, so you will need to book annual leave, and ask your child’s school for permission. UK mosques announce Eid according to their own approach to moon sighting, so your mosque’s Eid may be a day earlier or later. In England, Qurbani animals may only be slaughtered in an approved slaughterhouse.

This guide is for anyone planning Eid in the UK: employees booking time off, parents asking about school absence, students with an exam on Eid, and anyone arranging Qurbani themselves or through a charity. It explains the official rules and leaves religious rulings to your mosque.

Expected Eid dates in 2027

The dates below are calculated by the Umm al-Qura calendar. Use them for planning only: not every UK mosque follows this calendar, and no single body announces Eid for all Muslims in Britain.

Occasion	Islamic date	Expected date
Start of Ramadan	1 Ramadan 1448	Monday 8 February 2027
Eid al-Fitr	1 Shawwal 1448	Tuesday 9 March 2027
Day of Arafah	9 Dhu al-Hijjah 1448	Saturday 15 May 2027
Eid al-Adha	10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1448	Sunday 16 May 2027

Because Eid al-Adha is expected on a Sunday, many people may not need leave for the first day. But if your mosque announces Eid for Monday 17 May, you will need a day off, so plan for both. For the rest of the year, see our UK Islamic calendar for 1448–1449, and for fasting hours and Ramadan at work, our Ramadan 2027 UK guide.

Taking Eid off work

Eid is not one of the UK bank holidays, so the law does not give you an extra paid day off. The day comes out of your annual leave.

The general rules on annual leave

Most people who work five days a week are entitled to at least 28 days’ paid leave a year, which is 5.6 weeks, and this can include bank holidays. Work out yours with our holiday entitlement calculator.
The general notice period is at least twice the length of the leave you want, plus 1 day: three days’ notice for one day off.
Your employer can refuse the timing of leave, with notice at least as long as the leave requested, plus 1 day. But they cannot stop you taking your full entitlement over the year.
If your contract sets different notice periods, your contract applies.

What Acas advises

Acas guidance on religion or belief discrimination says employers should try to allow time off for religious festivals that matter to an employee. It suggests employers ask for leave to be booked early and agree in advance what happens if many people want the same day. Acas also points out that leave for a religious festival should not take priority over other people’s reasons for leave, because that could discriminate against people without a religion.

In practice: request the expected Eid day in writing a few weeks ahead, and say the date may move by a day. Offer a ready-made solution, such as swapping a shift with a colleague or keeping the following day as a back-up. Our guide to working in the UK covers your wider rights at work.

Shift work and variable hours

In shops, hospitals and restaurants, rotas are often drawn up weeks ahead. Ask whoever writes the rota not to put you on the expected Eid day, or to give you a short shift after Eid prayer. If a colleague does not celebrate Eid, offer to cover one of their shifts on a day that matters to them; managers tend to accept this kind of swap. If you work irregular hours, you still get paid holiday, worked out in a different way; the holiday entitlement calculator explains how. University students with part-time jobs follow the same leave rules.

Children’s school absence on Eid

In England, absence is governed by the Department for Education guidance Working together to improve school attendance:

Code R for religious observance: the school records the absence as authorised if the day is exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the parents belong, not by the parents themselves.
The general test: a day set apart is one on which the religious body expects its members to take time off work. If the school is unsure, it may ask the religious body.
Only the day set apart counts: if the body sets apart one day and you ask for more, the extra days need a leave of absence granted at the school’s discretion.
Suggestions for schools: the guidance says schools and councils may take days of religious observance into account when setting term dates or INSET days.

Write to the school before Eid, giving the expected date and noting that it may move by a day. Keeping your child off for extra days without permission may count as unauthorised absence. GOV.UK says the local council can fine each parent £80, rising to £160 if it is not paid within 21 days.

The rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are different, so ask the school or council. Our schools guide explains how the school system works.

University students and exams

If an exam or major deadline falls on Eid, speak to your university early. The EHRC guide for students explains that a rule which disadvantages a student because of their religion may be indirect discrimination, unless it can be shown to be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. If the problem is not resolved internally, students in England and Wales can complain to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) once they have completed the university’s own procedures.

Eid prayers in parks and open spaces

Some mosques and community groups hold Eid prayers in a public park or open space when the mosque cannot fit everyone. Public parks are usually owned by the local council, and large events in them usually need the council’s permission in advance, on its terms.

If you are organising: contact the council well before Eid and ask about its event application, insurance, safety and cleaning requirements. Find your council with our council finder.
If you are attending: rely only on the announcement from the organising mosque or group, and check the place and time on the night before Eid, as the weather can change plans.
Getting there: parking near parks is usually limited, so use public transport where you can. See our transport guide.

Find mosques in your area in our mosques and Islamic centres directory.

Qurbani in the UK: an approved slaughterhouse is required

Defra guidance for England on GOV.UK says that slaughter without stunning for religious reasons must take place:

in a slaughterhouse approved by the Food Standards Agency (FSA);
by a person who holds a Certificate of Competence;
according to Muslim or Jewish religious rites, for meat intended for Muslim or Jewish consumption.

The guidance states that the same rules apply to Qurbani. GOV.UK guidance on slaughter for home consumption also says that religious slaughter without stunning can only take place in an approved slaughterhouse. So do not slaughter a Qurbani animal at home, in a garden or on an unapproved farm.

How Qurbani works in practice

Book early with a butcher or provider that works with an approved slaughterhouse, as demand rises sharply around Eid.
Ask where the animal will be slaughtered, and whether it will be stunned, if that matters to you.
Ask when you can collect. The FSA explains that the law requires meat to be chilled at the slaughterhouse before it reaches the consumer: to 7°C in the core of the carcass, and 3°C for offal.
When the meat gets home: a consumer leaflet attached to the FSA’s Qurbani page advises cutting it up and putting it in the coldest part of the fridge (below 5°C), freezing it, or cooking it thoroughly.

If you ask a charity to carry out your Qurbani abroad, check it on the charity register ↗ before you pay. For halal meat and food shopping, see our halal grocers and halal restaurants listings.

Zakat al-Fitr before Eid

No government body sets the amount of zakat al-Fitr in pounds. Mosques and charities announce a figure each year, so ask your mosque for the amount and the deadline. If you are paying your zakat on wealth at the same time, use our zakat calculator.

Common mistakes

Assuming Eid is a bank holiday. It is not, so book leave.
Asking for leave the night before. The general notice period is at least twice the length of the leave, plus 1 day.
Keeping your child at home for several days without permission. Code R covers only the day set apart.
Slaughtering a Qurbani animal at home. Religious slaughter without stunning is only allowed in an approved slaughterhouse.
Leaving meat out of the fridge for long. Chill it, freeze it or cook it as soon as it arrives.
Relying on one date. Your mosque may announce Eid a day apart.

Frequently asked questions

When is Eid al-Fitr 2027 in the UK?

Expected on Tuesday 9 March 2027 by Umm al-Qura. The final announcement comes from your mosque.

When is Eid al-Adha 2027?

By Umm al-Qura, Sunday 16 May 2027, with the Day of Arafah on Saturday 15 May. Your mosque’s date may differ by a day.

Is Eid a bank holiday in the UK?

No. You take it from your annual leave by agreement with your employer.

Can my employer refuse Eid leave?

They can refuse the timing of leave with proper notice. But Acas advises employers to try to allow it, and an unreasonable refusal may be discrimination.

Can I be fined if my child misses school on Eid?

In England, the day set apart for religious observance is recorded as authorised absence under code R. Extra days without permission may be treated as unauthorised absence.

Can I slaughter my Qurbani animal in my garden?

No. GOV.UK says religious slaughter without stunning can only take place in an FSA-approved slaughterhouse, and the same rules apply to Qurbani.

Do Eid prayers in a park need permission?

Large events in public parks usually need permission from the local council. This is the organiser’s responsibility.

What should I do if my exam falls on Eid?

Speak to your university early and ask for an alternative arrangement. If that does not work, use the university’s complaints procedure.

Sources

Next step

Book your leave early using the holiday entitlement calculator, follow your mosque’s Eid announcement through the mosques directory, and work out your zakat before Eid with the zakat calculator.

Reviewed 18 October 2026.